Piece of hardware for attaching a leg to furniture and the like



March 25, 1958. J. SHAPIRO 2,823,174

PIECE OF HARDWARE FOR ATTACHING A LEG TO FURNITURE AND THE LIKE FiledNov. 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.. JOSEPH SHAPIRO ATTORNEY March25, 1958 J. SHAPIRO 2,828,174

PIECE OF HARDWARE FOR ATTACHING A LEG T0 FURNITURE AND THE LIKE FiledNov. 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY March 25, 1958 2,828,174

J. .SHAPIRO PIECE OF HARDWARE FOR ATTACHING A LEG T0 I FURNITURE'AND THELIKE FiledNov. 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOSEPH SHAPIRO ATTO EY INVENTORI nited States PatentiO PIECE OF HARDWARE FOR ATTACHING A LEG TGFURNITURE AND THE LIKE Joseph Shapiro, Shrub Oak, N. Y.

Application November 19, 1956, Serial No. 623,085

4 Claims. (Cl. 311-104) This invention relates to apparatus forsupporting table tops and other articles of furniture and, moreparticularly to articles of hardware for attaching legs to furnitureunits. This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 518,300, filed June 27, 1955, for leg aflixingand means.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an article ofhardware of generally plate-like form that can be readily aflixed tofurniture which is adapted to receive and secure legs for the furniturein a selective, vertical and inclined position, such article being ofsimple construction and eflicient for the intended purpose.

Another object of this invention, is to provide an article of hardwarefor securing legs to furniture in a selective, vertical and inclinedrelationship and which will be used to secure legs of different lengthsthereto for adjusting the height of the article of furniture.

All of the foregoing, as well as additional objects and advantages ofthis invention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a corner of a table top illustrating oneform of an attaching plate made in accordance with the presentinvention, in position on the underface of the table top, showing a legsecured thereto in a vertical position;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2- 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the leg attached to thetable in an inclined position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified form of thepresent inventionin which the attached plate has a transverse bendintermediate each end that provides a downwardly extending channel and atransverse upwardly directed weight supporting ridge;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the leg in an inclinedposition;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the corner of a table top having a wroughtiron or metal wrought leg secured thereto by means of the bracket shownin Figures 4 and 5;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the leg secured to thebracket in a different position.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8, showing the leg secured to thebracket in an inclined position;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10, showing the leg secured to thebracket in a different position;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary bottom plan view illustrating the use ofarcuate fastening arms formed on the upper ends of the wrought iron leg;

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a still further modifiedform of the attachment device;

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1414 of Figure 13;

"ice

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 14, showing the leg secured to thedevice in an inclined position; and

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figures 13 to 15.

Referring to Fig. l and the associated views, a table top is designatedby the numeral 1. Attached underneath a corner portion of 1 is a plate,as of metal and of requisite rigidity, in the form of a rectangularstrip 2 which is bent at its ends to provide flanges 3 and 4. Theflanges may be perforated as at 5 to allow for passage of screws 6 tofasten the strip to the table top. The plate has a channel portion 7providing a segment having a surface which is disposed in a parallelplane with the table top bearing surfaces of the two flanges. Segment 7,therefore, is horizontally disposed when attached to the flat horizontaltable. The plate is further bent transversely to provide a secondsegment 8 which is angularly disposed with respect to the segment 7.Both segments7 and 8 are provided with substantially centrally locatedapertures 9 and 10, adapted respectively to receive a bolt 11 secured inthe top flat surface of the wooden leg 12. Apertures 9 and 10 may bethreaded as at 9 and 10'. Bolt 11 may be provided with wood screwthreads at its lower end for engaging the Wood of leg 12, and machinescrew threads 'at its upper end for direct engagement with 9 and 10'.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the plate is bent, asdescribed above, to provide end flanges 13 and 14. On the inner edge ofthe horizontal segment 15 thereof, there is formed a reverse transversebend as at 16 to provide a transverse ridge at 17 from which extendsangularly disposed segment 18. Segments 15 and 18 are provided withsubstantially centrally located apertures 19 and 26 to receive the bolt11 as shown. These apertures may be threaded so as directly to engagebolt. The leg may be provided as shown, with a caster 21 or othersuitable gliding means. Segments 15 and 18 form in effect a doublechannel.

In Figs. 6 to 12 there are illustrated an attachment of a leg made ofwrought iron or a bent metal road by means of the plate shown in Figs. 4and 5. However, the plate shown in Figs. 2 and 3 can likewise be used.The metal leg, formed of a rod bent at its middle to provide a footportion 22. The upwardly extending portions 23 and 24 terminate in upperends bent inwardly and horizontally toward each other as at 25 and 26and then bent again at right angles to parts 25, 26 and also to parts 23and 24 to provide two horizontal arms 27 and 28. A secondary plate 29 isprovided with two grooves 30 and 31 and an aperture 32 for the receptionof a threaded bolt 33. Plate 29 thus fastens arms 27 and 28 againsteither one of the segments 15 and 18 of the primary attaching plate.Figures 8, 9, l0 and 11 illustrate the adaptability of the secondaryplates and the wrought iron leg. Four positions are shown, to providevertically disposed legs and angularly disposed legs. Since the legs maybe varied in length, it is evident that the invention permits the usethereof for widely divergent purposes, as for supporting tables, chairs,etc.

In Fig. 12 the horizontal arms 35 and 36 take the place of thehorizontal arms 27 and 28 of Figs. 6 to 11. Arms 35 and 36 arepreferably arcuate in form. The secondary plate 34 is provided witharcuate grooves 37 and 38 to receive the arms 35 and 36, respectivelyand hold them against segment 15. Plate 32 may be fastened to thesegment 18 similarly to the manner of afiixation showing in Figs. 10 and11.

Referring now to Figures 13-16, a still further modified form of thedevice is shown wherein the plate structure is provided withlongitudinal flanges in addition to the transverse flanges. Suchlongitudinal flanging provides addi tional means for aflixing the deviceto the article to be elevated, and it also provides increased rigidityof the device and sturdiness of the furniture structure when assembled.This form of device, like the other forms, may bestarnped out of a stripof metal or manufactured by any suitable means. I v r a r As shown insaid Figures 13-16, the device or piece of hardware 40 having aperipheral fiange l has two segments 42 .and 43. Segment $2 ishorizontally disposed whenv 40 visattached, for example to the undersideof a flat horizontal table top. The second segment 43 is angularlydisposed. with respect to the segment 4-2. Each of the segments areprovided with substantially centrally located apertures 44 and 45,respectively, adapted to receive bolt .46 projecting axially from thetopsurface 47 of the upper end of leg 48. The apertures may haveinternally extended Walls as at 5 0 and 51 to provide increasedinternally threaded surfaces for the reception of bolt 46. Segments 42afid43 may also be provided with circular ribs as 53 and 54,respectively. The peripheral flange 41 comprises the two longitudinalflanges 55, and the flanges 56 and 57' transverse thereto.

In addition t6 the openings 58 at the four corners of the device, thelongitudinal flanges 55 may also have openiiigs as at 50 and 61 toprovide for insertion of attaching means, such as screws 62 for securingthe piece of hardware to the underside of an article of furniture, asfor exam le, table top '68. To provide space for 60 and 61 the segments42 and 43 may be narrowedat'their meeting line or area so as to increasethe surface area of the longitudinal flanges in theregions of thoseholesas at 63 and 64. 7 It will he understood that the meeting line of theperipheral flange and the segments 42 and 43 may vary from a sharplydefined line to a smooth fairing; and likewise the walls of the segmentsmay fair into the surfaces thereof which contact the tops of the leg. Itwill be further noted, that the leg may be secured to either segment ofthe bracket to provide for the vertical or inclined attachment of theleg to the article offurnilure. As is more clearly shown in Figures 14and 15, the central connecting portions 63 and 6 that are common to boththe horizontal and inclined segments 42, 43, serves as a part ialbearing portion for both selected positions of theleg. H Aside fromproviding a stable structure, this arrangement reduces the overall sizeof the bracket, resulting in a more attractive appearance and a lowercost. Itwill be understood that the foregoing description of theinvention and embodiments illustrated are merely illus trative of theprinciples of this invention. Accordingly, the appended clairns are tobe construed as defining the invention within the full sense and scopethereof.

I claim:

1. A device for attaching a leg to an article of manufacture comprisinga rigid plate having a substantially flat peripheral portion, securementmeans associated with said peripheral portion for fastening said deviceto an article, said plate having substantially a centrally locatedembossrnent extending outwardly from the plane ofsaid flat peripheralportion, said emb'ossme'nt including a plurality of angularly relatedsegments, each of said segments having a bearing surface, and attachmentmeans associated with each of said bearing surfaces for selectivelysecuring a support leg thereto.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said peripheral portioncomprises a flange, and said securement means includes bores extendingthrough said flange adapted to receive fastening elements ,therethrough.

3. A- device as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said segmentsisfsubstantially fiat .and is adapted to form a continuous bearingsurface.

4. A device for attaching a leg to an article of manufactnre comprisinga rigid plate, a substantially flat peripheral portion, securem'entmeans associated with said References Cited in the file of this patentUNlTED STATES- PATENTS 1,733,859 Brubake r Oct. 29, 1929 1,800,132Brubaker Apr. 17, 1931 1,976,031 Lowenb'e'r'g Oct. 9, 1 934 2,545,347Embree Mar. 13, 1951 2,738,246 Hogan Mar. 13, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS197,801 Great Britain May 24, 1923 205,175 1908 Germany Dec. 21,

